The Chicago Bulls are officially eliminated from playoff contention, as their chances evaporated last week with a home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Not many expected the Bulls to make the playoffs this season so it doesn’t sting as bad. Instead, the focus is on the upcoming 2019 NBA Draft and where the Bulls will be selecting come June.
Chicago enters Wednesday’s home game against the Washington Wizards at 20-52 overall and the fourth-worst record in the league. As it stands now, Chicago has a 12.5% chance at the No. 1 overall pick and a 48.1% chance at a top four pick according to TankAThon.
They are 1.5 games back of Cleveland from the third-worst record in the NBA and improving their odds for the No. 1 overall pick. The odds increase to 14% for No. 1 and 52.1% for a Top 4 pick if you finish with one of the three worst records.
Chicago’s chances took a hit with a big road win at Phoenix on Monday, as Cleveland also won.
Now, going into Wednesday’s home game against Washington, the Bulls will be without one starter and another could be limited.
Chicago announced that Otto Porter Jr. will miss Wednesday’s game vs. the Wizards and LaVine will be probable. LaVine could be limited with his injury.
The Bulls played one of their better games of the year on Monday, throttling the Suns on the road, 116-101. Now they host a Washington team that’s fighting for its playoff life, but is a woeful 8-27 on the road. You can keep checking on SBD´s odds which are updated daily to find out if the “motivation” factor will skew the spread in the Wizards’ favor and for the Bulls, who have generally been better since the trade deadline, to win and cover despite their own brutal 8-27 home record.
Porter won’t have the chance for revenge against his former team, as he was traded from Washington to Chicago a few weeks back. Since that trade, Porter has been a key player in Chicago’s rotation and a potential fit for the future of the franchise.
With just 10 games left, every single game is important for the Bulls chances at a No. 1 pick.
We will see what happens Wednesday night against Washington.
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